


Bitter Drinks and Open Hearts

by Bookworm1121



Series: Queliot One Shots [7]
Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee Shops, M/M, no magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 03:02:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17993618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookworm1121/pseuds/Bookworm1121
Summary: Quentin came into Starbucks every day, ordering a black coffee.However, he never drank it and looked disgusted when sipping the hot liquid.Eliot was desperate to understand why.





	Bitter Drinks and Open Hearts

Eliot hated his job. No, he despised it. Never in his life had he imagined working at a coffee shop in college. He knew he would have to get a job, but he felt like a walking cliché. He moved from his hometown to escape his past, went to New York City to become an actor, was openly gay, and now was working at a coffee shop—a Starbuck (Eliot hated Starbucks coffee). 

Luckily, Margo—his best friend—worked with him. Most of the time, they worked separate shifts since the manager quickly realized little work was done when they were together. However, it allowed them to vent about the horrors of working at a coffee shop.

The mornings were the worst. College students and business workers stood in line, waiting for their coffee. Most were annoyed, cranky, and had little tolerance for lines. Eliot had to deal with bitter costumers and their annoying coffee orders. 

During the afternoons, the store was quieter. A few regulars stayed at the store, working on homework or their job requirements. Eliot knew most of their names, and he knew their regular orders.

One order stuck out to him the most: Quentin’s. Quentin spent most his time at the Starbucks. He piled himself with his textbooks, spending hours working on homework and reading assignments. Eliot wondered what type of major required to much work.

Quentin ordered a simple black coffee every day. However, it wasn’t the type of coffee that interested Eliot. It was Quentin’s reaction to drinking the coffee. Every day, Quentin sipped the bitter substance, wrinkling his nose in disgust. For the entire time, the coffee sat untouched. 

When Quentin walked into the store, Eliot’s attention drew to him. Margo teased Eliot about his fixation on Quentin, knowing Eliot developed a crush on the boy. 

“Hi, Eliot!” Quentin said, smiling, “I’d have the regular.”

“Are you sure? We have tons of stuff. You should try something out.”

“Nah, I’ll stick with my black coffee.”

Eliot nodded, “Don’t understand how you can like that. I could never deal with the bitterness.”

Quentin shrugged, “It’s not that bad.”

“If you say so.”

“Thanks, Eliot.”

Eliot grinned, “That would be $2.00.”

. . .

Eliot placed his hand on his chin, staring at Quentin. Twenty minutes had passed, and Quentin barely touched his coffee.

“Go talk to him,” Kady said, “It’s creepy for you to stare at him. He’s going to file a restraining order.”

“Ha, very funny,” Eliot said, sarcastically.

“Go, I’ll cover for you. Get to know why he’s always wasting our coffee.”

Eliot laughed, “Fine, but only because he’s wasting overly priced coffee.”

Kady laughed as Eliot walked towards Quentin’s table. He tapped Quentin’s shoulder, “Got a question for you.”

“Mmh?” Quentin said, staring at his laptop.

“Why do you order black coffee if you hate the taste. Are you going for that hipster coffee vibe? Because you never drink it, and when you take the first sip, you look disgusted.”

Quentin blushed, avoiding Eliot’s gaze, “I hate coffee in general. But black coffee is the cheapest thing on the menu.”

“Then why do you come here? Why torture yourself every day?”

Quentin was silent for a moment, blushing, “No reason,” Quentin fiddled with his pencil, tapping it against the table.

Eliot moved to sit in front of Quentin, and Quentin avoided Eliot’s gaze, “You’re hiding something.”

“No, I’m not!”

“Then why won’t you look at me?”

Quentin chewed his lip, staring at his laptop, “Julia’s dating Kady and Penny, and Julia is my best friend.”

“Okay, and what does that have to do with you buying coffee?”

“You are going to think I’m weird.”

“Quentin, I’ve seen plenty of weirdness in this city, whatever you seem to be hiding won’t phase me.”

Quentin bit his lip, hard. He looked at Eliot, shyly, “I’ve seen you around campus with Margo and I’ve had a crush on you for a long time now and Julia found out you worked here and she tried to get me to talk to you so instead I just sit here every day, so I can talk to you and see you,” Quentin said, very quickly.

Eliot blinked, processing the words, “What?”

“If you want me to leave, I get it. I can leave and never bother you again. It’s kinda creepy and weird, but you are just super cool and super attractive and super nice and super—”

“You think I’m attractive,” Eliot smirked, putting his elbows on the table. He rested his chin on his hands, leaning closer to Quentin.

Quentin swallowed, “Y—Yes?”

“I think you are too.”

“You aren’t freaked out at the fact I literally came to your place of work to look at you?”

“I’ve been watching you since you started coming here. I’m just as much as a stalker.”

“You’ve been watching me?”

Eliot nodded, “So, please, stop buying coffee you hate and go on a date with me?”

Quentin grinned, and Eliot felt his heart leap at the sight, “Okay! When and where?”

. . .

Eliot leaned against the counter, finally able to relax after the morning rush. When he heard the door open, he mentally groaned. Eliot turned to the register, greeted by Quentin smiling at him.

“Q, what are you doing here?”

Quentin shrugged, “Julia needed coffee—she’s got this project to do. So I offered to get her some.”

“And it had nothing to do with you wanting to see me,” Eliot teased.

“Seeing you is a plus,” Quentin grinned, leaning over the counter to peck Eliot’s lips, “When does your shift end?”

“Not for another three hours.”

Quentin groaned, “I have class in two hours, and I’ll be on campus for five.”

Eliot sighed, “Dating is hard.”

“I haven’t seen you in like three days,” Quentin frowned, “Finals are killing me.”

“I know, Q. But they will be over soon.”

Quentin nodded, frowning still. Eliot looked at Quentin, stroking his cheek, “Do you want to move in with me?”

“What?”

“I mean, we’ve been together for like four months, and when you do stay over, you are there for like five days. So why not?”

Quentin smiled, “Okay, let’s move in together.”


End file.
